Tributes to Derek Bell, harpist, pianist and one of Irish music's true renaissance artists, who died suddenly in Phoenix, Arizona on Monday night have been led by the Taoiseach.
Mr Ahern said last night he was "deeply saddened" to hear of Mr Bell's death.
He described him as a gifted musician, a great character and "one of life's true gentlemen".
The surviving members of the Chieftains said his death was a "great shock".
They praised his "renowned" contribution to traditional music, adding that he was enormously respected as a classic musician.
They added in a statement: "His passing has left a silence that will never be filled and anyone who has had the honour of meeting him will know that the world will just be a much less interesting place without him". The statement is signed by Paddy Moloney, Sean Keane, Kevin Conneff, Matt Molloy, Martin Fay, Michael Tubridy and Sean Potts.
The Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism, Mr O'Donoghue, said Mr Bell was one of the finest harpists Ireland had produced. "Derek Bell was a vital part of the Chieftains, who brought traditional Irish music to new levels during their long and successful career."
He singled out Mr Bell's role in popularising the music of 18th century Co Meath harpist Turlough O'Carolan.
His talents were evident long before he chanced upon the Chieftains, with whom he played since 1973. A child prodigy, Derek Bell wrote his first concerto at the age of 12, and later went on to study at the Royal College of Music in London.
His array of instruments stretched well beyond the two for which he was best known: the harp and the piano. Bell had as close an affinity with the oboe, the cor anglais, the horn and the hammer dulcimer, and it wasn't until he was in his 30s that he took up the harp.
His interest in the dulcimer led to a refashioning of the tiompán, an ancient 132-stringed Irish instrument, undertaken with his instruction by craftsmen in Hungary, and welcomed with open arms by Paddy Moloney into the recording studio for more recent Chieftains albums.
Derek Bell didn't let his elder years prevent him from occupying a key role as comedian within the Chieftains' camp. Affectionately described by Paddy Moloney, the Chieftains' founder, as "a total eccentric", he will be remembered for the groundbreaking contributions he made to the band through his innovative use of both harp and harmony. These two facets of Bell's contribution were, according to Moloney, essential to the ultimate realisation of The Chieftains' identity, one that melded traditional and classical styles with ease.
Bell's most recent performance was with The Chieftains when they played a grand concert in Nashville on September 30th last, to celebrate the release of their latest album, The Old Plank Road. The concert was broadcast live in the US, and featured guest appearances from a swathe of country and new country artists, including Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss and Ricky Skaggs.
A native of Belfast (born on October 31st, 1935), Bell wore his prodigious talents lightly. Rarely was he heard to talk of his six solo albums or his many collaborations: his performance (on symbalon, a Hungarian dulcimer) on the soundtrack to Dr Zhivago; his equal comfort in the company of classical and pop musicians, (including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Van Morrison, Mark Knopfler and Elvis Costello), and his professorship at the Belfast Academy of Music.
Derek Bell lived in Bangor, Co Down, and is survived by his wife, Stephanie, his mother and his two sisters.